Help, lots of it please.

[robbo 110]

Hi,

When you say £100 per cube, i am right in thinking that is a cubic metre ? loose stacked ?

 

If i could get near that i would be a very happy bunny indeed ! not sure my customers round here would pay that much for logs, not when guys near me are selling a transit tipper load of reasonable hardwood for £100.

 

Regards, Rob.

 

hi rob, firewood prices vary a lot up an down the country, search some of the previous threads for some 'heated' discussions!!!!! how much are you selling your firewood for??

[ashman]

hi rob, firewood prices vary a lot up an down the country, search some of the previous threads for some 'heated' discussions!!!!! how much are you selling your firewood for??

 

 

I charge £180 for a large load, it works out at 3.12 cubic metres, still reckon its too cheap but everyone round me are doing loads for £120/£130, one guy is charging 100 quid for a large transit tipper full !

[robbo 110]

I charge £180 for a large load, it works out at 3.12 cubic metres, still reckon its too cheap but everyone round me are doing loads for £120/£130, one guy is charging 100 quid for a large transit tipper full !

 

that does sound cheap, all depends on your overheads etc, if your confident that your supplying a good product & already have a good client base maybe you should consider a small price increase?? living costs increase all the time, why shouldnt yours!! explain to the customer why you have needed to increase the costs, most will understand, do you supply kindling?? ive found supplying both really helped, kindling sold with firewood got me more new customers than any advertising, funny old world!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dave Martin]

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/20216-poplar-aie-firewood-guide.html

[gensetsteve]

To supply 2 cu metres of loose logs will shortly cost me more than £75 just in timber let alone cherry derv and machine wear. The cost of steel and machines has rocketed in the last two years. Derv must have gone up 30p a litre in 24 months.I tend to be at the top end of price in my area and things are slow in November but always shift most of it by feb. I currently charge £160 for 2cu metres. will need to be £195 next year. Kindling well worth doing.

[ashman]

Yes i agree, i think they are plenty cheap enough, however when worked out against competitors locally i am about the same price or just top end.

 

How do i compete with those that are doing it cheaper, i only put mine up this year and got a few negative comments, a main customer (buys a load every 4 weeks) said i was dearer than the next man, i tried to explain it was a bigger load, and it was all top quality oak and ash, but it just falls on deaf ears, some folk cant see further than the price !

 

I have never offered kindling, but i may think about it, depends on what investment would be needed to supply them.

 

Rob.

[twmarriott]

rob theres a few steam chaps about near you, try find one with a bench, they use poplar for brake blocks and lagging, i slabbed one a few months ago and got 15 /cubic foot! your too far from me to buy it but there are a good few shows at old warden etc in beds and it may help if you could sell some 20 ft logs at that price. other than that it will go as fire wood but needs seasoning well over a year and is quite swift.

[davetaz]

Hi,

When you say £100 per cube, i am right in thinking that is a cubic metre ? loose stacked ?

 

If i could get near that i would be a very happy bunny indeed ! not sure my customers round here would pay that much for logs, not when guys near me are selling a transit tipper load of reasonable hardwood for £100.

 

Regards, Rob.

 

£100 per cubic metre (loose) delivered in barrow bags (5 bags = 1 cubic metre)

 

Just because other suppliers are selling it cheap doesn't mean you should. Offer a good product with good service and charge an appropriate price. Waitrose v Aldi syndrome. My coustomers aren't particularly wealthy but value a good product with good service

[ashman]

£100 per cubic metre (loose) delivered in barrow bags (5 bags = 1 cubic metre)

 

Just because other suppliers are selling it cheap doesn't mean you should. Offer a good product with good service and charge an appropriate price. Waitrose v Aldi syndrome. My coustomers aren't particularly wealthy but value a good product with good service

 

Yes i see what your saying....

 

At those prices my load is worth £312.

 

I cannot imagine anyone paying that when they see a transit tipper going round doing loads for £100, yes i think my logs are better, in fact a couple of my new customers are ex transit customers, and they have said his wood is crap, but i have also spoke to people who say it is good !

i have seen some of his wood and i think it is ok, i wouldnt complain about it, not as good as mine obviously, but at 3x the cost ???????????

 

What i cannot afford to do is loose the customers i have, they have all been with me some time, are all good, (have weedled out the bad ones) buy multiple loads per year, never complain and pay on the nose.

On the last price increase i recieved a few negative comments but never lost an order, so....food for thought i guess.

 

I watch other prices closely to gauge what is going on, to be honest i have 3 suppliers locally and i think they are all too cheap. they are all between 40 and 60 quid a cube.

[gensetsteve]

Sometimes it takes one person to increase prices and the rest follow. Most of the cheap suppliers must be running out now. You could reduce the size of the load and tweek the price up. I have others business income so can afford to gamble as I dont rely solely on firewood. I try to charge a fair price and stick to it have sold all my logs for the last 4 years.